[1997-09-01-WCW-Nitro] Hulk Hogan and J.J. Dillon

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Of course, Hogan can't let all the heat go on Nash and his guys, so he has to come out and do this segment. Bischoff says Hogan has defended the title more times in one year than Sting has even wrestled, which I suppose is true. Hogan wants to know who Sting has beaten to earn a title shot and shoots on him not going to the gym anymore. He says if Sting can come out now, he's got a title shot waiting on him. Hogan wants JJ Dillon out, the "Junior Executive" at WCW, as Bischoff calls him. Hogan throws one of the lamest punches in history at JJ Dillon then drops a few legs on him before Bischoff spraypaints BITE ME on his back. This Nitro was the first time I have had the feeling all year that the NWO push is completely out of control and I'm done with it.

[Kevin Ridge]

Hogan does make a good point about whether Sting deserves a World Title shot. Dillon continues to look toothless in trying to run WCW.

[Childs]

I've found it fascinating to watch Hogan on the yearbooks, because as a babyface, he has come off as a huge creep, which basically fits my memories from the time. But as a heel, well, he made some pretty good points. I mean, what the fuck had Sting done to deserve a title shot? Why should Hogan let a little stooge like J.J. Dillon browbeat him? I kind of saw where he was coming from here, and yet he still came across as a douchey heel, which he was.

[soup23]

Besides the heat stealing, I was fine with this. Tony was again disgusted and Hogan is able to make a beatdown. I still like that Hogan gives a shout out to Syxx every time.

[El-P]

This Nitro was the first time I have had the feeling all year that the NWO push is completely out of control and I'm done with it.

 

Agreed. With this and Savage & Hall getting the win on DDP & Luger again in the final segment, it felt like a total downer for WCW. Hogan puts the heat right on himself despite not being on the PPV, and he does it by furthermore destroying the heritage of the Horsemen by putting JJ Dillon out, which makes the Arn parody like light matters in comparison. Plus, it's the first time, I believe, Hogan refers to Sting having a "white body that (he) can't bother to drag to the gym", which was one reason Hogan effectively didn't want to put him over clean at Starrcade. So yeah, you can foreshadow bad stuff on the horizon, and some clouds are beginning to clutter the WCW sky. It's too bda because the undercard was stacked at this point, with some really fun Eddie/Benoit/Jarrett/Malenko/Dragon/Mortis & Wrath/Faces of Fear/Alex Wright stuff.

[PeteF3]

"This is the man who has defended the title more times in one year than Sting has even wrestled!" Check and mate to Mr. Bischoff! Hogan: "Riddle me this, riddle me that / Who the hell is Sting without the big, bad bat?" Hogan makes some other comments towards Sting that somehow feel more personal than the Arn stuff with Nash. This honestly felt more like a burial than the Horsemen parody, and then we get Dillon being embarrassed again just like has happened for his entire stint. Why ISN'T Sting here, anyway?? Hogan comes off as insecure and not entirely in a scaredy-cat heel way. Schiavone rips off his headset in disgust in a great moment.